Outlaws fall to former 5A champs

The Outlaws lost 0-5 in a hard-fought home battle against Woodburn, last years' 5A state champions. The Bulldogs dropped down to 4A this year to become a part of the Oregon West League and will be a huge threat to league foes. On the road two days later, Sisters finished deadlocked with Philomath in a 0-0 tie.

In Tuesday's action, the Outlaws were outmatched and didn't have a counter on the offensive end in their loss against Woodburn. The Bulldogs scored three in the first half and added two goals in the second half for the win.

Coach Rob Jensen said, "Samson Henneous played great in the goal and had many saves in the game, and the midfield and outside backs played solid throughout the contest. Sam Nicklous and Connor Linn really stood out on the wings, and Skyler Larson played with poise and confidence in both the middle and as a wing."

Senior Asher Bachtold shared his thoughts on the contest.

"We had some serious perseverance and the team didn't quit," said Bachtold. "We improved a lot and it was a good learning curve for us."

At Philomath, the Outlaws started out great, but after approximately 20 minutes of play they lost energy. Sisters was down six players program-wide, and the low numbers had an impact on the game. They did have some great opportunities from Larson and Jude Kokesh-Carhart, but the ball just failed to find the back of the net.

Jensen said, "I feel like the boys are improving; we just need to stay healthy and get a touch more chemistry. They executed the game plan, but just didn't have the bodies to sustain it."

Sisters was scheduled to face Stayton at home on Tuesday, September 18. They will travel to Sweet Home on Thursday.